With our running calendar for marathons you will always be up to date in 2025! Find the best marathons in Germany and Europe and add them directly to your watch list.
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The marathon is the longest Olympic running discipline in athletics, covering a distance of 42.195 kilometres.
Marathons are usually held in the form of road or city races in a large number of major cities around the world. However, there are also races that take place on trail running routes, i.e. through mountains and on forest and meadow paths.
The most famous marathons in the world include the New York City Marathon and the Berlin Marathon. Around 60,000 participants take part in the former every year, running through the centre of the Big Apple. The Berlin Marathon, with around 40,000 starters, boasts a breathtaking finish line directly at the Brandenburg Gate. The last official world record was set there in 2018 by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge. He completed the course in 2 hours 1 minute and 39 seconds.
In addition to the very large and world-famous running events, there are also very spectacular marathons, such as the Great Wall Marathon. This race is run entirely on the Great Wall of China. Another spectacular marathon is the E.T. Fullmoon Midnight Marathon in the Nevada desert. At midnight - as the name suggests and due to the incredible heat during the day - the starting signal is given and the runners, equipped with headlamps, set off on the course.
The first marathon took place at the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. The race was named in memory of a Greek messenger who ran from Athens to Sparta in 490 BC to fetch reinforcements for the war against the Persians - the Battle of Marathon. The route was almost 40 kilometres long and so the first Olympic marathon also covered a distance of 40 kilometres.
In Germany, the first official marathon was held on 3 July 1898. The route led from Paunsdorf near Leipzig to Bennewitz and back again.
Today's marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres was covered for the first time at the Olympic Games in London in 1908. Until this event, the distance for this competition was always set at 25 miles or 40.23 kilometres. In London, however, the course was to run from Windsor Castle to the Olympic Stadium in Shepherd's Bush. However, this distance was 26 miles and 385 yards, which corresponds to today's well-known marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres. In 1921, this distance was officially defined as the distance for marathons.
From 1970 and the fitness boom that began at that time, running, and with it the marathon, became established as a popular sport.
In 1979, there were around 10,000 German marathon runners and 50 competitions were held in Germany. By 2005, 153 marathons had been organised in Germany and the number of regular marathon runners was estimated at around 100,000.
If you are planning to take part in a marathon, you should prepare yourself and your body well according to your fitness level. The strain on your body during the marathon course should not be underestimated and you should also prepare yourself well mentally for this competition.
It is extremely important that you create a personalised training plan and start it with sufficient lead time for the competition. In our article on marathon training, we provide you with helpful tips and procedures so that you can put together the ideal training plan for you.
In addition to long runs at a moderate pace, this should also include interval training sessions. Depending on your individual level and time of training, your weekly workload should be 60 km or more. A single distance should not exceed 30 km. If you are an absolute professional, then the maximum distance can be longer.
It is generally recommended to start training for a marathon five or six months before the competition. The planned distances and weekly workload should increase every fortnight.
There are also often 10- or 12-week training plans for marathons. However, you should only consider these if you already have very good stamina and a solid level of training beforehand.
It is best to take part in competitions of shorter distances before your first marathon. A half marathon, for example, is very suitable for this. This will allow you to find out how the competition situation affects you and your body. It should not be underestimated what adrenaline and excitement can do to your body and its performance, but also to your mind and your mental state.
A very important aspect of marathon training is that you give your body sufficient rest and regeneration time. Your muscles also need to be able to recover and if you are ill, you should interrupt your training. Because running with the flu can cause serious illnesses, such as myocarditis.
In the last two to three weeks before the competition, you should reduce your training load so that your body can regenerate sufficiently and be in top form when race day arrives.
Nutrition before, during and after a marathon is also extremely important. Many marathon runners eat more carbohydrates in the week before the race in order to fully top up their energy stores. Many marathon organisers often offer so-called pasta parties the day before the race, where only carbohydrate-rich dishes are served.
You should not eat any solid food immediately before the race to avoid digestive problems during the race. However, you should definitely make sure you drink enough and stock up on energy bars for the race route. You can also find all the information you need about nutrition in connection with a marathon in our marathon training guide.
You can find a list of all marathons in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in our marathon running calendar at the top of this page. However, we will now introduce you to the five best-known races in DACH in more detail.
1. Vienna City Marathon
Every year in April, this marathon is the first major running event and heralds the start of the marathon season. It is the biggest running event in the whole of Austria and attracts 40,000 runners to the starting line. They run through the centre of Vienna and past impressive sights such as Schönbrunn Palace.
2. Berlin Marathon
It is one of the most famous marathons in the world and is organised every year in September. Since 1974, this race has been attracting more and more runners, so that around 40,000 starting places are now allocated. The route runs right across Berlin, including through the famous Kreuzberg district. At the spectacular finish at the Brandenburg Gate, the runners are cheered on by thousands of spectators over the last few metres.
3. Frankfurt Marathon
The course of the Frankfurt Marathon is considered to be the third fastest of all. Every October, 23,000 starters run through the city and are cheered on by around 400,000 spectators. The highlight of this marathon is the finish line, where the runners cross a red carpet accompanied by a light show in Frankfurt's Festhalle.
4. Munich Marathon
One of the top 10 marathons in Germany takes place in Munich every year in October. The start and finish are in the impressive Olympic Stadium and are a highlight for every runner. In addition to the marathon, the Trachtenlauf also takes place every year. Over a distance of 3.5 kilometres, runners take to the course in lederhosen and dirndls or other international costumes.
5. Hamburg Marathon
Every April since 1986, the marathon has been held in the harbour city under the motto ‘Run the blue line’. A blue line is painted on the ground along the entire route to show the runners the way. The course is 19 kilometres long and runs past the fish market and other sights.
Have you already taken part in a marathon? Then please share your experiences with us and rate or comment on the relevant run in our list.